I would NEVER feed cat food to my cat - personal opinion

Healthy food is healthy food...for cat or human. If you feed yourselves, McDonalds and fast food...you're gonna have health problems..see the documentary "Super Size Me" for proof. This guy ate Mickey's D's for 30 days straight, tested his bloodwork at the beginning of the 30 days and at the end, his bloodwork was all screwy and he gained weight after the 30 days and he said he felt like crap.

It's probably the same for cats, especially for cats with health issues.

If you are on this site, chances are you are doing the best you can for your cat. So, I don't look down on others for what they can do.

I feed my cats Purina One dry and Chicken Soup for the Kitty lovers' soul wet food. They like it and I can afford it. But maybe they would be healthier on homemade? Who knows? But I hate to change what is working.

I also hear you on the vaccines. I am actually one of those "weird" moms who don't like vaccines for my children. They get what they have to for school, (even though I hate it) but I stagger their shots so they don't get more than 2 at a time or any flu shots. They tried to give my kids 5 shots at one time! I don't think so. Thing is...if you are young..you are building up your immune system and your brain is growing and developing at such at rapid rate, it seems illogical to give so much at such a critical time. Plus the adjuvents they use to bind the ingredients in the shots are not exactly desirable. I feel the same way about giving kittens vaccinations so young.

I applaud you for going against the grain for what you think is best, OP.

Originally Posted by Homemommy

Healthy food is healthy food...for cat or human. If you feed yourselves, McDonalds and fast food...you're gonna have health problems..see the documentary "Super Size Me" for proof. This guy ate Mickey's D's for 30 days straight, tested his bloodwork at the beginning of the 30 days and at the end, his bloodwork was all screwy and he gained weight after the 30 days and he said he felt like crap.

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Just a quick note that many criticize the film since he always supersized when offered and was intentionally consuming at minimum 5000 calories per day and not exercising.

There was a counter documentary to this where multiple people went on a exclusive McDonald's diet and lost weight (one man losing a whopping 80lbs).

The trick was eating more of McDonald's healthier choices like salads, wraps, fruits, and the like and limiting their calorie intake to 2-3000 calories. Just a note about overfeeding rich foods in general, as that applies to our kitties as well, be it raw, top-tier premade, or plane ol' friskies. Can't forget about calories in versus calories out.

I completely agree. Super Size Me, IMO, is the extreme end of the spectrum concerning consuming fast food. But I often see people who look like they have also taken part in the documentary too! As they say, everything in moderation.

Originally Posted by Ducman69

Just a quick note that many criticize the film since he always supersized when offered and was intentionally consuming at minimum 5000 calories per day and not exercising.

There was a counter documentary to this where multiple people went on a exclusive McDonald's diet and lost weight (one man losing a whopping 80lbs).

The trick was eating more of McDonald's healthier choices like salads, wraps, fruits, and the like and limiting their calorie intake to 2-3000 calories. Just a note about overfeeding rich foods in general, as that applies to our kitties as well, be it raw, top-tier premade, or plane ol' friskies. Can't forget about calories in versus calories out.

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In my case commercial cat food(I feed Solid Gold Indigo Moon) is the best I ca give Nuts. Due to him being FeLV+ he can't eat raw due to the fact that he is immunocompromised. So even if I did a homemade diet I'd have to cook it anyways and since he's thriving on the Solid Gold I'm more than happy with that. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' type of thing.

Every cat is different. I feed the outside cats Cat Chow because it's the best I can afford to feed them. Mama, the oldest, is a long hair, she looks like she has some Maine Coon in her, but doesn't matter if she does or doesn't(just saying that so you have a idea of what her coat looks like), well she has a full thick long winter coat in and it's stunning, not to mention really soft and she is a good weight. Now over the summer Half-tail started dropping weight. She was a tiny kitty to begin with(she is the same age as Nuts, they are from the same litter) she was at her ideal weight of 4 lbs when she was spayed(compared to Nuts who is thin and 12 lbs), but she was losing weight and getting thinner. We gave her some Hill's A/D(it was Attitude's, she would either start eating again and not need it or in the end she was put to sleep) and she seemed to enjoy it(my vet knew if I didn't feed it to the 'Tude it was going to Half-tail, I straight up told him it was going to one of my outside ferals that looked like a walking skeleton if Attitude didn't need it and half the time it was being used by Attitude, didn't help her but in the end there was nothing that could be done the FeLV won.) We decided to tweak the outside cats diet and started feeding them canned food 2 or 3 cans once a day on top of their regular diet of Cat Chow. That fixed the issue and Half-tail put weight back on and is fine now. She's still little(and always will be, one of my neighbors thought she was a baby kitten, Attitude and Nuts were her size by 12-16 weeks old) but her weight is back to what it should be. Diet is not one size fits all, what works for one cat won't work for every cat, same as one diet doesn't work for every human.

I got about half way through Super Size Me and couldn't watch any more, it was just stupid and I couldn't watch his stupidity any longer. He took it to the extreme, that and the result of his super sized double quarter pounder meal grossed me out(I didn't get much past that, I didn't want nor need a first person view of that.) By the way- my ex can finish the exact same meal(with a diet Dr. Pepper to drink) without issue and wonders why he weighs over 300 lbs(that is why when Bobby asks me why his dad is so fat I tell him it's because he overeats.)

Taryn

I acquired my old boy Sam when I was a child. He was five weeks old, I was like nine years old, I brought home that tiny black ball of fluff and because I didn't know any better (neither did my parents) we fed him processed crap foods. I shudder to think about the nastiness we fed him for all those years. Yet, his vet said it was what we should feed him, and we trusted the vet as a professional to know what is best for our beloved pet.

When he was 18, he had a bad kidney episode and the vet (who had recommended that vile crappy garbage food to us) said he was terminal, in pain, and should be euthanized. He was losing weight, losing hair, acting strangely and drinking a tonne of water. She told us that the poor thing wouldn't live more than a few months if we didn't have him put down, and that he would suffer terribly for those last few months. While we prepared for his impending death, the vet did a few things that shook our trust. We decided to take him elsewhere for a second opinion.

The new vet took him off the expensive medication the first vet had him on (citing that it was further damaging his liver/kidneys since he couldn't process it properly) and told us to switch his food IMMEDIATELY. She prescribed new meds, educated us about pet nutrition, gave us a lot of information about his condition (sadly, due to the toxins that built up in his system and the inappropriate medications the first vet had him on, he sustained brain damage. He was never totally the same, mentally, but he did recover most of his faculties.) and told us to be vigilant and supportive, and hopefully he would recover.

And oh, how he recovered. His appetite came back, his energy returned, his coat grew back and he returned to health. He would always have some mental deficiencies (sometimes he'd get "lost" in the home he'd lived in for a decade, sometimes he'd agress for no reason, and he did a lot of "night crying" after his illness) but he regained his love of life and toys...he returned to his happyness. He played like a kitten and kept the dog in line, and lived for another two years. This past fall, he died very suddenly, we (and the vet) believe it was probably a stroke.

Two good quality years was worth the cost of the better food and medication.

I've learned my lesson, I've educated myself about pet nutrition and I try to feed my cats the best food possible. However, I am of the opinion that not all commercial foods are bad. Some foods seem to really try to provide quality nutrition. Brands such as Blue Buffalo and Wellness are pretty darn good. I'm currently trying Taste of the Wild, as recommended by a friend. It has done wonderful things for the health and vibrancy of her cats, and I'm hoping it does similarly nice things for my kitties. I supplement my weak, deficient cat with salmon oil and the Missing Link product for cats. I have only had the weak one (she's my little Munchkin) for a few months, but already I'm seeing major changes for the better.

I respect opinions but I also believe that some vets are better than others. My vet that I take my cats to now is excellent, she is very conscientious of pet nutrition and has helped me bring my "defective" cats (all of whom are "special needs" babies) into health and vigor. My skinny, sickly, allergy-prone kitten we found as a stray, Merlot, is now a hale and hearty adult, with good muscle mass, strong limbs, vibrant coat and high energy. He has some lingering neurological problems (due to an aberrant allergic reaction as a kitten) but with good food and some PT, he is improving daily. My skinny and sickly Persian, Yvaine, has some facial deformity and some sinus issues, as well as mild entropion (non-surgical since it is not severe enough to cause damage or discomfort, just looks unfortunate) and she has blossomed into a beautiful little princess, with less eye problems, no more nasal discharge, and while nothing will ever repair her deformed tear ducts, the tears no longer burn her face. She's at a good weight, and has more grace and reflexes than any other kitty I know. She's thriving, now. And my newest baby, the Munchkin kitty I've named Ember, is in transition. She has so many issues, but they're slowly being resolved...and good food sold commercially is helping her along. My cats are all eating grain-free foods with quality ingredients.

I'm curious, what food were you feeding to the cats when you fed commercial diets?

Originally Posted by BreaMarie

I know of at least 15 different cats (owned by family members and friends) who eat crap like Friskies and Whiskas dry food, don't go to the vet like they're supposed to, and are old and healthy.

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Sami, who, for the record is not actually my cat, is on that diet (Friskies wet and Whiskas dry). She has been to the vet only a couple times since she was acquired at around 1 year of age and is 17 years old and in darn good shape.

Parker had problems on a dry diet, then was fed cheap wet food and is now fed Wellness grain-free and he is doing excellent. No urinary issues, no #2 issues and his fur has never been softer.

You certainly are entitled to your opinion, of course, but like saitenyo said, even our food is not 100% guaranteed safe, so there is always the potential for allergies and illnesses.. but millions of cats live long, healthy lives on commercial cat food. The poor and high quality stuff. However, if what you're doing is working well for your cats and they are healthy, power to ya!

I believe that longevity in cats is as much related to their genetics as it is in humans. You hear of people eating crap food all their lives and living a long life. On the flip side, you hear of people dieing young who ate very healthy food and exercised rigorously. The same can be said for cats.

I also believe that most people don't have a clue about what is healthy for them, and to prepare a special, healthy diet for a them or their cat requires a level of research that most people wouldn't do. I applaud anyone who attempts to do this, but frankly haven't found the need to do so myself.

Most of my cats live to be at least 13 years old on commercial diets. My longest lived cats (lived to 18) oddly enough, ate mostly Purina Cat Chow, which is considered junk food for cats. Go figure they were my only 2 cats that were primarily fed this food.

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My first cat, Winky, lived for nineteen years on grocery store food!!! YUK, I say now. But she did live a long life with barely any health problems. Would I feed that to my cats now that there are so many more healthful diets for cats??? NO, I would not feed my cats the same food I fed Winky. And isn't that how it is for people?? Each year the FDA comes out with new statistics about what they thought was good for us now causes cancer.

But it is true that certain ingredient like corn, corn gluten, soy/wheat cause alot of allergies in our cats. I have opted for the grain free diets....... but with caution. Are these diets really better? Have read that alot of cat owner's have had kidney issues with grain free. It is so confusing when I go to these natural pet food stores and talk with the owners. Everyone has a different opinion and idea of what is best to feed your cat. But most say that high protein and no grain are the way to go...

"My cat ate Crap For Kitties (a pretend, "low" quality food) for her whole life and lived to a healthy old age."

This statement gets made so many times and yet it is completely meaningless in a discussion of the benefits of a better quality diet.

Yes, not every cat that eats Crap For Kitties will develop IBS.
Yes, not every cat that eats Crap For Kitties will develop FLUTD.
Yes, not every cat that eats Crap For Kitties will develop CRF at a relatively young age.
Yes, not every cat that eats Crap For Kitties will develop cancer.
Yes, not every cat that eats Crap For Kitties will develop hyperthyroidism.
Yes, not every cat that eats Crap For Kitties will develop diabetes.

That isn't the point.

The point is that many, many cats that do eat Crap For Kitties *DO* develop one or more of those ailments and that feeding a higher quality diet might have prevented it. Stated another way, it's not that feeding Crap For Kitties guarantees that a cat will develop a serious ailment or that feeding a higher quality diet guarantees that they will never develop a serious ailment it's that feeding a higher quality diet will *lower the risk* of a cat developing some serious ailments.

after the 1st vaccinations i don't vaccinate mine anymore. if it's a 'live' vaccine (except for rabies) there's no point in vaccinating them again.

My first cat the last few months of her life the vet wanted her on wet food as her weight was dropping so low and no vet could tell me why but then the vomiting started to the point one day she vomited clear shiny white foam, tilted her head and died. My second cat was a never ending nightmare of supposed food allergies and was exclusively wet food with very tiny meals 16 times a day to stop vomiting and over a dozen high quality diet trials. It didnt save his life, his last moments was vomiting yellow bile like fluid while howling in pain. Did just having a teeth cleaning two weeks ago add to it? Did all the mometamax steroid ointment finally catch up with him?
I took my sisters 12 year old cat in for 48hrs. She ate about 20 of her hard kibble during that period and sure enough what did she do? Vomited three times. Scarier yet is you can waste thousands of dollars with vets and all they do is guess over and over and from my experience just seem clueless as nothing resolves.

Originally Posted by madara

My first cat the last few months of her life the vet wanted her on wet food as her weight was dropping so low and no vet could tell me why but then the vomiting started to the point one day she vomited clear shiny white foam, tilted her head and died. My second cat was a never ending nightmare of supposed food allergies and was exclusively wet food with very tiny meals 16 times a day to stop vomiting and over a dozen high quality diet trials. It didnt save his life, his last moments was vomiting yellow bile like fluid while howling in pain. Did just having a teeth cleaning two weeks ago add to it? Did all the mometamax steroid ointment finally catch up with him?
I took my sisters 12 year old cat in for 48hrs. She ate about 20 of her hard kibble during that period and sure enough what did she do? Vomited three times. Scarier yet is you can waste thousands of dollars with vets and all they do is guess over and over and from my experience just seem clueless as nothing resolves.

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Are you saying that every cat you've owned/taken care of temporarily has had the same vomiting issues while they've been under your care, no matter what food they're eating?

That's either some kind of terribly remarkable coincidence, or there's some containment in their environment that made them all sick.

I may be misreading your post, and if so, I apologize, but if I'm reading it correctly, that's a really strange pattern, you may want to look into what might be in your home that could be causing such identical symptoms in all of the cats you've housed.

Originally Posted by saitenyo

Are you saying that every cat you've owned/taken care of temporarily has had the same vomiting issues while they've been under your care, no matter what food they're eating?

That's either some kind of terribly remarkable coincidence, or there's some containment in their environment that made them all sick.

I may be misreading your post, and if so, I apologize, but if I'm reading it correctly, that's a really strange pattern, you may want to look into what might be in your home that could be causing such identical symptoms in all of the cats you've housed.

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especially on the last case, where your sister's cat was under your care for 48 hours and ate *her* kibble, not a different food... A food that she was eating at her place I would assume without issues?...

Yeah according to my sister her cat went back to normal when she went home and it was her own kibble. My sister thought I may have been right 12 years is way too long to rehome a cat and she was stress vomiting, the cat surely was majorly depressed without her. Same thing with my first cat I guess. Nearly 13, had been losing weight for years but adding the stray kitten into the mix even in a locked room put her over the edge perhaps. And dear recently departed aki was found burnt and with massive yeast bacterial fungus debris in both ears that would keep regenerating from a few days to just a few hours towards the end. With constant steroid ointment as the only relief for few hours but you could tell from him licking, scratching and swollen lip immediately after ingestion even with all food trials, food played a role.

I live in single story single room apt built in 1976, there is no cross ventilation so unless you get great wind from east where all windows are its overly dry, abit stale though ac runs in summer. No filtration furnace system, just hot water from boiler that comes into registers with pipes.

If someone wants to suggest I may have killed these cats by bringing them into my apartment I would like to know from what? I feel cursed enough I may very well just stay lonely and not get another animal but still logically speaking looking at the forum cats just seem to vomit alot especially when at end of their life or gravely ill.

All my asking and research there is nothing out there documented besides two reports of black mold toxicity in cats and I believe that has respiratory side effects. And my apt manager laughs at the idea I have unseen hidden mold so bad it started to kill my first cat slowly since 2006 and now is so strong it effects a cat in less then 48hrs all the while being unseen in dry clean well kept apartment with no history of water damage. Those tests for anything remotely accurate are very expensive and she does not see any evidence in her 40 years of apt managing to run such a test. The paint which no cats have ever really played with is water based, no old lead I am told. What is really left that environmentally that can make cats vomit? I dont do fragrances or use strong cleaners in front of cats, mostly dawn soap and hot water. I live alone so no one is monkeying around thankfully.Keeping in mind my first cat was in here since 2001 and wasnt until she was nearly 10 years old that she started to lose weight and vomiting was end game, last 2 weeks of her life.

Very dumb ? but has a radon check been done?

Hmm, good question, I will look into that. thanks sharky.
Honestly I dont know how I would go on if I found out my apartment, I was responsible in some way. Aki was once in lifetime.

We're still feeding our kittens meat sachets and dry biscuits, I occasionally mix lightly cooked broccoli into their wet food, and we give them raw chicken wings for their teeth. I have heard that tinned food tends to be too high in salt & fat which is bad for their organs, so I'd like to eventually move to home prepared meals, or at least quality pet meats from either the cold section at the supermarket or the butcher and some veggies.
There's a woman in my town that has two cats, and she feeds them solely on an organic vegetarian diets and they are apparently the healthiest cats you'd ever meet - shiny, energetic... I'm vegetarian myself so I see that as a very tempting track, but I have mixed thoughts about how to give them everything they need. I wont bring my veg opinion here regarding people! I can do what I like with my own body but with them, I'd like to give them the best.
I don't have the necessary money or knowledge to give them a home prepared diet at this stage - I will definitely be doing so whenever I can, it's just a matter of making the transition and hopefully my lifestyle will mould to fit it.

They may have shiny coats but that vegetarian diet is going to come back and bite her. They will eventually suffer from malnutrition.

Cats bodies require meat protein to thrive. There is just no getting around it, cats are obligate carnivores and that means they need meat. No vegetable protein can replace it.

You know what you call people who try to make their cats vegetarians?

Former cat owners.

Originally Posted by DemstarAus

I can do what I like with my own body but with them, I'd like to give them the best.
I don't have the necessary money or knowledge to give them a home prepared diet at this stage - I will definitely be doing so whenever I can, it's just a matter of making the transition and hopefully my lifestyle will mould to fit it.

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I'm bolding part of that for emphasis. Being vegetarian is a choice for you, and if you don't want to push that choice on other people, then how is pushing that choice on your cats any better? At least other people have the option to listen to what you have to say and still choose not to follow it, but your cats have no choice but to eat what you give them.

As others said, cats are obligate carnivores. What would be the purpose of forcing them to eat a vegetarian diet? You seem concerned about giving them commercial food because of the unnatural additives/extra fats/etc. but you realize that vegetarianism is not natural for cats either, right? Cats require certain essential nutrients (like taurine) to survive. These nutrients can only be found in meat. In a vegetarian diet, these nutrients would need to be supplemented back in, and there's no guarantee that there aren't some other nutrients found only in meat that we're not aware of yet, that they'd still be lacking. I am personally very skeptical that most cats could live long, healthy, happy lives eating absolutely no meat. It may be possible for a cat to survive on a vegetarian diet? I don't know. But it's certainly not ideal, and doesn't seem like it'd offer the best quality of life, and could seriously risk their health. Some cats can't even digest grains and/or plant matter very well at all.

I say all of this as someone who is also a vegetarian, for the record. I understand the point of view obviously. I'm feeding my cats a raw diet and it's difficult for me sometimes because of my aversion to meat. But I know it's what they need to be healthy, and I'm willing to do it for them.

I don't mean to offend, but I feel if someone really is not comfortable feeding meat to their pets, they shouldn't own pets that require meat-based diets. There are plenty of vegetarian pets out there. But if someone wants to own a cat, they need to understand their dietary needs and meet them, not force an unnatural diet upon them based on personal dietary preferences.